NBR: Question for Dog Owners (Potential Health Issue Mentioned)

[URMySunshine77]

I noticed recently that my dog has a strange mole near her belly. It is not even the size of a pencil eraser, so very small, but it is black, so I wanted to have it checked out. The vet says that it is too small for a biopsy, so they have to remove it completely in addition to the flesh around it. She has to go under (probably with gas).

I wanted to write and see if any of you have experienced a similar surgery with your dog(s) and how they came through.

The thought of a cancerous tumor terrifies me, but I'm trying to focus on the idea that the mole is so small and probably benign. Please keep her in your thoughts. She is like a baby to me. Thank you.

[longlivetheevilqueen]

Yikes! No words of wisdom but at least your being proactive and making sure that if it is a problem your catching it early. I'll keep you in my t&p.

[motleycrew90]

Have not had to deal with any skin biopsys, but recently we had to have a biopsy done on our dogs hip to test for osteosarcoma. He came out of anesthesia just fine. My thoughts are with you and your dog. I know how hard it is to see your baby go thru something like this

[PugMum]

Jan 20, 2015 2:26:32 GMT -5 URMySunshine77 said:

I noticed recently that my dog has a strange mole near her belly. It is not even the size of a pencil eraser, so very small, but it is black, so I wanted to have it checked out. The vet says that it is too small for a biopsy, so they have to remove it completely in addition to the flesh around it. She has to go under (probably with gas).

I wanted to write and see if any of you have experienced a similar surgery with your dog(s) and how they came through.

The thought of a cancerous tumor terrifies me, but I'm trying to focus on the idea that the mole is so small and probably benign. Please keep her in your thoughts. She is like a baby to me. Thank you.

Personally, none of my pugs have had to go through a surgery like that. But - a lot of dogs I know have skin tags. My girl, Roxanne, has a black skin tag (probably the size of an eraser too) and my vet has zero concern.

Fingers crossed that hers is benign. Good for you for getting it look at, it will give you piece of mind.

[finnaroo]

A few years ago, our dog had a lump appear rather rapidly. We took him to the vet and they said that they could remove it in surgery. It turned out to be a wart, so they probably took less tissue than they will need to for your pooch, but he was fine.

He acted a little drunk when I picked him up from the vet. He'd never worn an E collar before and he was having issues with sniffing and peeing, but was otherwise ok. I gave him lots of snuggles and blankets and just let him take it easy for a few days. I don't remember if he had pain pills or an antibiotic, but I want to say he did.

I'm sorry she has to have surgery! I hope that the mole is NBD.

[yummybunny]

Jan 20, 2015 2:26:32 GMT -5 URMySunshine77 said:

I noticed recently that my dog has a strange mole near her belly. It is not even the size of a pencil eraser, so very small, but it is black, so I wanted to have it checked out. The vet says that it is too small for a biopsy, so they have to remove it completely in addition to the flesh around it. She has to go under (probably with gas).

I wanted to write and see if any of you have experienced a similar surgery with your dog(s) and how they came through.

The thought of a cancerous tumor terrifies me, but I'm trying to focus on the idea that the mole is so small and probably benign. Please keep her in your thoughts. She is like a baby to me. Thank you.

It will be a minor procedure and she will probably be under less than 10 minutes. Our older dog who has since passed had a small growth removed from his leg and he came through well. I've also worked in animal welfare in shelters for 5 years and have seen many dogs undergo both major and minor procedures at the vet. Dogs who came in with any suspicious lumps always did fine through the surgeries. 

Mill keep her in my thoughts and hope things go smoothly! Good for you being so proactive. 

[mustloveerica]

What kind of dog is it and how old? I grew up with Boston Terriers. They grow all sorts of lumps and bumps as they age. If it's small you can always just keep an eye on it and see if it gets bigger.?

[inwinethereistruth]

Anesthesia is super easy, and removing masses is one of the simplest surgeries we do, but it should deff. be removed as it could be a mast cell tumor, a melanoma or a hemangiosarcoma, all of which are malignant. Hopefully it isnt malignant.

[gdaisy09]

Our pup is young, so she's only had spay surgury. However she is a PILL at the vets, and while they do their best to care for her with out sedation she has had to have a few things done where sedation was necessary. most recently she had a direct draw of urine from her bladder to test for a bladder infection, I believe on most dogs they're able to do that with some restraints, however my girl gets so feisty they were afraid she might hurt herself or one of the vet techs, so they sedated her, so not fully under, but if it's a quick removal something on your dog's skin they may not need to knock her fully out, in people they would just numb the area and you'd be awake.
Our girl was fine with that kind of sedative, her next few meals were small, we had to make sure stairs were blocked off so she wouldn't fall down them, she was a little drunk puppy for the night and the next morning may have had a bit of a hangover.

[physiomeg]

No advice to offer here, but just wanted to say I'll be thinking about you and your pup! I hope it all works out well (and hopefully benign!)

[MauiBliss]

Our rat terrier had one like that removed on her nose. It started getting bigger so we opted to have it removed. She came through it fine and it was just a skin lesion, no cancer to be found and you can't even see where they did it now. She was about 11 when they did it. She now has another one on top of her head that is unsightly but likely not cancerous, my vet said. We left it alone for about a year and now it's starting to bug her, so she will be going under to get that one removed, too. She is 13. Talk to your vet about how they do their anesthesia. I am always a minimalist. I prefer they use the minimum of drugs so that if something goes wrong, they can more quickly pinpoint which drug is causing the issue. The key is keeping them warm/cool and quiet in recovery. General anesthesia takes away their ability to regulate temperature so they can get quite cold or over heated quickly while recovering.

[thechickencoop]

Former vet tech here, wishing you good luck! Don't worry about the anesthesia; the risks are very low (although they are there) and depending on the age/health of your dog the vet should be running basic to comprehensive bloodwork before hand to rule out any obvious issues.

Afterward just make sure she doesn't have access to the incision site, so you may have to deal with an e-collar fora bit

[3houlagirl]

Jan 20, 2015 7:51:56 GMT -5 budders said:

Was the vet recommending that it be removed and tested, or do you want to do that just for peace of mind?
My pup has only been neutered, and came out of the anesthesia very very well from that (too well; it was hard to keep him calm for the time that we needed to for him to heal). I would guess that this is probably a much more minor procedure and less time under, but still a decent scar afterwards. Good luck!

I am also wondering this. I have had several dogs develop skin tags, as well as other lumps and bumps, and the vet has never recommended an immediate excision, only that we keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't change or grow. I'd be asking why they recommend excising it completely...

That said, dogs do just fine under anesthesia. Your pup might act drunk, or feel a little sick afterwards, but they usually bounce back just fine.

[Daikoku]

I've never dealt with moles in my dogs. Only warts. But I have dealt with anesthesia. It will be a quick outpatient surgery and should only have to be out for a few minutes. They will keep the dog for a couple hours afterward just to make sure coming out of anesthesia goes well, then you'll be home. Good luck.

[mrsp]

I've never had to take my dog for biopsies, but he's had his fair share of being put under with anesthesia. There's always going to be risks involved with the anesthesia, but I'm sure she'll come out just fine. My dog had to have two surgeries for an ear hematoma and I was a wreck the entire time he was in for surgery. I hope she recovers well and that the mole turns out to be nothing.

[inwinethereistruth]

Jan 20, 2015 8:27:31 GMT -5 3houlagirl said:

Jan 20, 2015 7:51:56 GMT -5 budders said:

Was the vet recommending that it be removed and tested, or do you want to do that just for peace of mind?
My pup has only been neutered, and came out of the anesthesia very very well from that (too well; it was hard to keep him calm for the time that we needed to for him to heal). I would guess that this is probably a much more minor procedure and less time under, but still a decent scar afterwards. Good luck!

I am also wondering this. I have had several dogs develop skin tags, as well as other lumps and bumps, and the vet has never recommended an immediate excision, only that we keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't change or grow. I'd be asking why they recommend excising it completely...

That said, dogs do just fine under anesthesia. Your pup might act drunk, or feel a little sick afterwards, but they usually bounce back just fine.

A lot of old school vets will recommend the wait and see approach, but vets trained in the last 10-15 years recommend needle aspiration and pathology or, depending on size, simply removing it. This is due to the extreme improvements in anesthesia and pain management, in addition to have better medical knowledge. If a dog got a skin mole 10 years ago and it turned out to be hemangiosarcoma and the dog died 6 months later of metastatic neoplasia, it wasnt as sad, and the vet didnt get sued. Now, a horrible review goes online, the vet gets sued and we have a dead dog. Medically it is much more appropriate to have masses aspirated or removed than to wait and see.

[bee]

I have no experience but FX that everything is fine! Hugs!

[Unknown]

Poor doggy. Hope everything is ok, keep us posted.

[brettanomyces]

My cat has skin tags. At least one of them has grown quite large, but vets never seemed worried about them being harmful.

The only surgery my dog had was being neutered, and he did just fine with the anesthesia. I think it's pretty routine for vets so I'm sure your pup will be just fine!

[mrss44]

I have a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, when she was about to be 1 I noticed a spot on her ear, they called it a cyst. They did put her under but I'm not sure if it was gas or not. She did really well and was back on her feet in two days. It was benign thankfully. Prayers for your sweet doggy!

[doggiestyle88]

Jan 20, 2015 2:26:32 GMT -5 URMySunshine77 said:

I noticed recently that my dog has a strange mole near her belly. It is not even the size of a pencil eraser, so very small, but it is black, so I wanted to have it checked out. The vet says that it is too small for a biopsy, so they have to remove it completely in addition to the flesh around it. She has to go under (probably with gas).

I wanted to write and see if any of you have experienced a similar surgery with your dog(s) and how they came through.

The thought of a cancerous tumor terrifies me, but I'm trying to focus on the idea that the mole is so small and probably benign. Please keep her in your thoughts. She is like a baby to me. Thank you.

I second what a previous poster said about the blood work. Especially if your dog is older, make sure they run a blood panel before they put her under. That will reassure you that they are aware of any potential complications and are using the right "formula" for your pup. I have a bulldog and the breed has a high risk for anesthesia complications, but our vet was cognizant of it and she did great! Good luck to your pup!

[mtnmomma13]

No additional advice, just wanted to say I hope everything turns out fine. Keep us posted!

[eriniscool]

One of my dogs has had biopsys and skin tags removed. She also has a few weird lumps and bumps that according to the vet are just fat.
I have to second staying away from Google. Everytime something is wrong with my dogs it convinces me we only have days left with them. Then I go to the vet, and they're perfectly fine.
I hope everything works out ok with your pup.

[URMySunshine77]

Jan 20, 2015 7:17:52 GMT -5 mustloveerica said:

What kind of dog is it and how old? I grew up with Boston Terriers. They grow all sorts of lumps and bumps as they age. If it's small you can always just keep an eye on it and see if it gets bigger.?

mustloveerica: I had a Border Terrier/Yorkie mix. I hope that it's just an age-related mole. 

The doctor said that it would be best to remove it, just in case.

[URMySunshine77]

Jan 20, 2015 11:02:00 GMT -5 @wineandcupcakes said:

We had something similar but it was a lipoma and was able to be aspirated. Our vet and Dr Google said that the smaller is usually better and less advanced if it is anything.

Keep us posted!

@wineandcupcakes: I'm so glad that I can tag you now!! 

This makes me feel a lot better. Thank you for sharing.

[Martinis&Medicine]

I understand the worry, I would be, too! But just try to remember that the vet wouldn't put her under if he didn't think she would do great!

I hope everything comes back ok!

[URMySunshine77]

Jan 20, 2015 9:33:01 GMT -5 frantastic said:

My dog (14 yrs old) has had a few skin tags/fatty tumors. The first time I noticed one, I was freaked out, but they used a needle to take a sample and it was fine. Stay far away from Google!

My dog's was pretty small, so I think that's kind of weird that your vet said it was too small for a biopsy...? But skin tags/fatty tumors/weird lumps are not unusual on dogs. My dog has gone under anesthesia for dental cleanings, and she's usually just a little tired for the rest of the day.

Thank you for sharing your experience, frantastic. The bump looks pretty benign. There isn't any redness around it.

[URMySunshine77]

Jan 20, 2015 7:51:56 GMT -5 budders said:

Was the vet recommending that it be removed and tested, or do you want to do that just for peace of mind?
My pup has only been neutered, and came out of the anesthesia very very well from that (too well; it was hard to keep him calm for the time that we needed to for him to heal). I would guess that this is probably a much more minor procedure and less time under, but still a decent scar afterwards. Good luck!

budders. Thanks for your response. My husband took the dog to the vet, so I didn't get the entire story. I guess the doctor felt that the safest thing to do would be to remove the mole and the flesh underneath just in case it is cancerous. 

I hope that your dog is doing well. Hugs to you.

[URMySunshine77]

Jan 20, 2015 8:24:44 GMT -5 MauiBliss said:

Our rat terrier had one like that removed on her nose. It started getting bigger so we opted to have it removed. She came through it fine and it was just a skin lesion, no cancer to be found and you can't even see where they did it now. She was about 11 when they did it. She now has another one on top of her head that is unsightly but likely not cancerous, my vet said. We left it alone for about a year and now it's starting to bug her, so she will be going under to get that one removed, too. She is 13. Talk to your vet about how they do their anesthesia. I am always a minimalist. I prefer they use the minimum of drugs so that if something goes wrong, they can more quickly pinpoint which drug is causing the issue. The key is keeping them warm/cool and quiet in recovery. General anesthesia takes away their ability to regulate temperature so they can get quite cold or over heated quickly while recovering.

This is good to know, @mauibliss. I am also a minimalist when it comes to medicating my family. 

[URMySunshine77]

Jan 20, 2015 8:58:41 GMT -5 @saveourship said:

You may want to get a second opinion. I found the same thing on my dog last fall. I panicked and took her to the vet, thinking it was cancer. Turns out that female dogs nipples can turn black as they age. Especially if they've been spayed. I felt very foolish. I would check to see if she has any other of these black spots around where her nipples would be. It may just be that they are changing color as she ages.

Good luck!

That's a valid point, @saveourship. My dog has black nipples, but this spot is on the side of her body. It would be too far up to be a nipple.